SuperTooth HD lets you safely update Facebook while driving

If there is one thing I hate more than anything, it is driving. Don’t get me wrong, the open road is awesome, but the other people on it and the fact that my phone won’t stop blowing up makes me a nervous wreck. There are a lot of phone calls, emails, and sometimes even texts that are business related that come in on my phone, so not picking up means lost business. Trying to answer my phone and keep my eyes on the road is not going to happen, so a lot of the time, I just have to take one for the team. Thankfully we’re starting to see products on the market like the SuperTooth HD that will help me answer all those important calls and emails without having to divert my eyes from traffic.

This handy little device clips onto your sun visor with no installation and starts working. It allows drivers to answer incoming calls, select pre-dialed phone numbers, check battery levels, or retrieve voicemail via voice command. The SuperTooth HD also has a hands free assistant feature powered by Dial2Do which will grant you the ability to compose and send Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and SMS messages all from just using your very own vocal chords. You can find this in stores around April for $129 with USB cable and a car charger. This is compatible with Bluetooth-enabled phones such as the iPhone or Blackberry. The Dial2Do service is about $6 a month and is required for the speech and text services you’re likely going to want.

How would you like a distracted driver using this while driving their 3500 lb car past your daughter on her bicycle?

How about while your Spouse and baby in a stroller are crossing the street in front of them?

There is no way to be safely distracted while involved in a task that may, at any moment, demand your full attention to avoid tragedy.

semprini

Yeah. I used to like the critical comments (both pro and con) but this place is just turning into a schill-fest.

Oh, if you understood anything about cognition or the problems of "distracted" driving you would understand that your "hands" are not the problem. It is your brain and it really does not matter what the "distraction" is (many distractions do not involve technology). This has only been tested scientific like but that does not stop the self-absorbed from believing they are somehow immune.

Oh and they also found out scientific-like that people who think they are "great multi-taskers" are actually the worst and no one really multitasks efficiently. So get things done, but one at a time. So talk, text, email AND THEN drive.

http://www.redferret.net Nigel Powell

Let's keep it civil shall we folks? :)

I think this product raises the whole argument about distracted driving in general, whether it's a hands-free mobile phone unit or a cheese sandwich in the glove box, and it's probably beyond our remit to offer expert advice.

The problem is there's no general rule about what makes for distraction. I've been in a car where the driver was dangerously distracted talking to the front seat passenger about this and that, and I've also been in a car where the expert driver was able to make a handse-free phone call while in full control of the vehicle at all times.

I agree that that the less distractions we have the better when it comes to moving half a ton or more of metal around at speed, but unless someone passes a law saying that you can do nothing while driving except operate the controls, I think this problem is going to remain a tricky one.

semprini

Nigel,

Your missing the point really and making a debate about where there is none (i said nothing about laws which is of course an actual matter you could debate). Your site chose to write an irresponsible headline (straight out of marketing toolbox I might add) and you got called on it. There is absolutely nothing "safe" about updating Facebook (unless it is completely "mindless" which does explain a lot about Facebook).

As an aside I am sure there are expert drivers who could eat french onion soup and perform surgery on the person in the passenger better than my full attention driving. But, again, this is not the point. The french onion soup and surgery are distracting the person (for the patients sake at least) and it would be irresponsible to suggest otherwise (no matter how much you want to schill for the french onion soup).

http://www.redferret.net Nigel Powell

The key point in your statement 'unless it is completely mindless' is, I believe the salient point. :) Updating Facebook with a stupid little 'on my way to work' is probably infinitely less dangerous than fiddling about doing something else in a car which we conventionally think is harmless (like unwrapping and eating a chicken bun?).

We're agreed, I think, that distraction in a car in not a good thing, what I think we're discussing is what degree of distraction is tolerable. Have a good one! :)